Atlanta crime rates plummet: Major reductions in homicides, auto thefts

ATLANTA - Atlanta's mayor and public safety officials say crime is down citywide. Mayor Andre Dickens says the city is well on its way to his goal of Atlanta being the safest large city in America. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum says crime is down the most in Zone 3, which is located in southeast Atlanta and includes communities like Capital View, Mechanicsville, and Summer Hill.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens could hardly contain his excitement. "Crime is down in Atlanta, particularly, homicides are down once again this year," Dickens proclaimed. Chief Schierbaum shared the encouraging numbers, which included a reduction in auto thefts, which have dogged the city. "The number one reduced area of crime in our city last year was vehicle theft, 29% down over the previous year. If you look at robberies, robberies were down 15%. Persons shot in our city is down 7%," the chief explained.

The stat the chief says his department is most proud of is that homicides are down 8%. More than 3,000 guns were removed from the streets, and drug operations were dried up. "Every five days, the Atlanta Police Department shuts down a drug dealing operation in this city," the APD chief exclaimed.

The good news extended beyond crime stats; the chief says 911 response times were cut in half, down in 2024 to 12.5 seconds. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says much of this progress happened because her office, the police department, and community organizations are now working together. "People get caught up in the numbers. Those are lives saved. Last year we lost 44 fewer people than the year before. That's 44 fewer mommas who had to bury their child. We should never lose sight of what these numbers mean," DA Willis detailed.

The chief says the fire department got in on the crime reduction too. Those who are experiencing violence can take refuge at any fire department citywide. These fire departments serve as safe spots.